"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thursday, July 31, 2014

spirited away alright

I have been so fascinated with the old gold mining town called Jiufen in Taiwan that I started watching the Spirited Away animation again.

Apparently Hayao Miyazaki visited this quaint little seaside town, spent some time at the teahouses, and got his inspiration for the highest grossing film in Japan to date. There are many bloggers sharing their fascination with Jiufen, and one even made side-by-side comparison of actual photographs with scenes from the animation.

That got me listening to Joe Hisaishi's compositions again. Highly recommend this, especially if you've watched any of Studio Ghibli's animes. You don't have to be an orchestra fan, nor even understand the lyrics in the pieces. They somehow stir the heart and bring warm nostalgic feelings.

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Sno By Any Other Name

when i first started this blog, i had not seen nor touched a snowflake before. i just imagined it must be one of those magical things that can only be experienced in a special place. knowing how each snowflake is unique in shape and size only makes it even more beautiful to look at. i finally held a snowflake in my hand when i experienced my first snow in niigata, japan. from then on, winter became my favourite season as i looked forward to the white bits that would fall from the sky and blanket the mountains and rice fields in an ethereal calm that is still a marvel for me.